Beef and Autumn veg stew

Have you noticed how very suddenly we have ‘fallen’ into Autumn this year? I feel like one minute I was watching the boys play cricket in grass stained whites and all of sudden it’s all about rugby and muddy boots. Leaves crunching underfoot in September feels a little early but here at Kate’s Table I’m embracing the Autumn. After a busy Summer I feel more than ready for some hibernation and hygge, the candles are lit, the blankets are handy for snuggling up again and I’m seeking out Autumn fruit and vegetables. See my blog post tomorrow on buying seasonal fruit and veg for some inspiration on what to buy this month.

Beef and Autumn veg stew

This is a super warming dish that can sit on your hob or in your oven to keep the kitchen warm and make the house smell delicious! I was inspired by Mr Kate’s Table’s parsnip crop this year, he pulled up some epic parsnips that demanded to be cooked immediately, He’s also a bit of an amatuer brewer and made an really authentic Milk Stout last year that found its way from cellar to kitchen for this recipe.

Method

This is super simple and requires very little intervention, prep and start cooking in the morning and eat later in the day.

Slice your onions, peel and chop your veg into chunks and set aside.

Combine the flour and mixed herbs in a large mixing bowl. Toss your raw diced beef into the flour and herb mixture and thoroughly coat the beef with the flour.

In a large, heavy based saucepan or casserole heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium/high heat (you may need more so keep it to hand).

Place a small handful of beef into the pan, move around the pan until each piece is browned and drain in a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. If you feel you need more oil then add a tablespoon at a time, don’t be afraid of the stickiness that will be at the bottom of the pan, you’ll be using this later. Repeat until all your beef is browned and in the bowl.

Turn your hob down to a medium heat. Add enough water to cover the base of your pan/casserole and scrape all the lovely beefy flavour off the bottom of the pan. Once this is combined add your sliced onion and stir for a few moment until it starts to soften.

Next add your beef, stout (keep 100ml to one side in case you need to add more liquid), bay leaves, red wine vinegar, stock cube, mustard and all the veg. Once these are stirred in turn your hob down as low as it will go or pop into a low oven of 100 degrees celsius.

Now comes the good bit, walk away (don’t whatever you do taste it as it’s not wonderfully tasty until the alchemy of the stout and beef have done their thing!). Walk away for at least 1 1/2 hrs, give it a stir if you can’t resist and leave it again. Add the rest of your stout if you check it at any time and think it needs more liquid.

I’m not going to give you an exact time, some of us like to have the beef falling apart and others like to still have some chew. Mine cooked for 4hrs on the lowest setting on my hob and the beef was starting to fall apart nicely. You need to make sure it has at least 3hrs but you could easily turn it off and say come back to turn it on for 30mins later in the day to warm it through.

I like to serve this with a mustardy cauliflower mash and garlic stir fried greens like kale or chard. My boys love it with roast potatoes!

Published by katestable1

I’m a busy working mum of two energetic boys who ensure that I’m always active, open for adventures or in the kitchen cooking up something nutritious to keep us all going! I can usually be found in the kitchen recipe developing, on the laptop writing for clients or with my head in the clouds and feet in the dirt on my veggie patch!
View all posts by katestable1

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